Hello, I’m Leona and I’m a yoga teacher and studio owner. I now teach Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin Yoga at Bodhi Yoga Center, General Santos City, Philippines. For private class bookings and general inquiries, feel free to connect with me through leona@bodhiyogacenter.com.

In lieu of a bedtime story, I somehow managed to “trick” my 6-year-old daughter to meditate before sleeping. It was a short but meaningful exercise on non-attachment that any parent could do with their tiny tots before tucking them in. Read our conversation below.

Evanna: Story time!

Me: Okay, I have something better. Close your eyes and listen to what I say. Take a deep breath in and out. And then breathe again.

Evanna: Okay…?

Me: Now think about your favorite color and your favorite thing in the world.

Evanna: Oooh purple… and lipstick!

Me: Oh purple lipstick? Now think about how you would look like wearing purple lipstick. Do you like it? Does it make you happy?

Evanna: Yes.

Me: Now think about what you look like without that purple lipstick.

Evanna: I look even better!!!

Me: So you feel okay even when the purple lipstick is gone?

Evanna: Yeah!

Me: Good! Now, think about your favorite toy in the world.

Evanna: Barbie dolls!!!

Me: Imagine that you’re playing with you favorite Barbie dolls. Does it make you happy?

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In no particular order, here’s a list of (outrageous) things I or somebody I know had experienced with regards to the safety of Mindanao, or Philippines in general:

A girl from the Netherlands was eager to participate in our first ever international yoga teacher training in General Santos. She wanted to stay in the Philippines for three months. She put in her deposit for the yoga teacher training and applied for a three-month visa. She was DENIED the visa because she indicated that she was going to General Santos City, the southernmost city in Mindanao. It’s interesting to note that this was the Philippine Embassy that denied her the visa. *frustration ensues*

A girl from one travel group in Facebook asked for travel tips in the Philippines. Many of those who commented said that it’s generally safe in the Philippines, EXCEPT the south, i.e. Mindanao. It would have been okay if it were the foreigners who advised her not to come here, but it was mostly Filipinas who did. *frustration continues*

A couple from Venezuela and Portugal touched base with my studio about wanting to come here for our next open yoga teacher training. We had a nice conversation about what to expect in the training. We did not discuss the history of Mindanao. Fast forward a few weeks later, said couple decided not to pursue coming here because the Embassy (which I hope to God was not the Philippine Embassy ~again~) advised them not to come. *getting really tired of people propunding ignorance of the matter*

I had a guest teacher from all over the world, originally Australia, who initially asked me about the security situation. Of course I was honest about it and said there had been incidents in the past but we live peacefully now. She said she wasn’t scared, having lived in Colombia and Israel, she knew what these stigmas can do.

I had guests from India who received news articles discouraging them to come to Mindanao. But being stubbornly brave, they came anyway. They were pleasantly surprised that General Santos City is not actually a warzone, but a quaint peaceful town near gorgeous white sand beaches.

I have had guests from all over the world who experienced how safe and pleasant it is in General Santos. It’s those who have never been here that have a lot to say about our security. *thank God for brave people*

The people of Philippines’ Region XII have been working hard to promote tourism because it’s honest-to-God filled with beautiful scenery. But when your own government, i.e. Philippine Embassies all over the world, and your own people, e.g., Manilennials and Baby Boomers NOT from Mindanao, are discouraging tourists to come down here, then we are wasting millions of pesos in advertising and thousands of work hours just to promote our region. We might as well shut down travel blogs about Region 12 and abolish Region XII Department of Tourism.

I understand that safety is of primary concern. But in this new age where travel is so accessible and the west continually attack countries in the Middle East, is there any place that is completely safe?

Are we forgetting that crime and terrorism can happen anywhere? It can happen in America, where airplanes were used to crash into the World Trade Center Twin Towers, killing nearly 3,000 people who did not expect to die that day, where elementary schools are targets of mass shootings even to this day, where marathons can be the perfect spot to set off an improvised grenade. It can happened in Paris, where the Al-Qaeda massacred 12 people out of spite for Charlie Hebdo magazine’s satirical pieces mocking the Islam faith. It can happen in England, where an improvised explosive device was used to attack Ariana Grande’s concert audience. Are we gonna let these incidents stop us from seeing those places?

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It has been a crazy couple of weeks in the yogic Life of Leona. For the first time in my teaching career as an E-RYT, I have managed to train and certify a student, with me as the Lead Trainer in a Yoga Alliance accredited course. Having that experience of creating a course curriculum, which for me contains the essential tools for a new yoga teacher, finally being able to train someone using that curriculum, watching them grow in their practice and their teaching methods…that experience is quite exhilarating. Not to mention the relationships that developed along the way. That will always be the best part of this journey, having wonderful people in my life who always encourage personal growth and happiness.

I only ever had a few weeks to breathe before I decided it was time for me to take it to the next level: to introduce the course – my course – to a wider audience. And next level it was… Within a span of 4 weeks, I was able to fill all the spots I offered for my upcoming Yoga Teacher Training Intensive in July 2018.

Having a business background does not usually enmesh with the yogic lifestyle. Most purists would say approaching yoga with a business-mind takes meaning out of yoga itself.

But I don’t completely agree with that.

I believe that as yoga teachers, we have the moral obligation to teach as best as we can the essence of yoga – to live equanimously, with love and compassion for all. As yoga teachers, it is our secondary duty to reach and teach everyone who is willing to learn. And by everyone, I mean the entire world. But as human beings, our energy and resources are not infinite. We must make use of these resources in the most logical and wisest way possible. I believe that’s when business mathematics come into play. And it’s not always necessarily evil.

Having said that, I spent many nights unable to sleep because of the amount of work I need to put in this new venture – setting up a system, rounding up a team, the works. Not that I’m complaining, I am merely stating a fact. I am finally doing what I’ve always intended to do. I am finally walking down the path of my purpose. And I know walking with purpose comes with a price. Mine is a few acne breakouts every now and then, and an hour less to sleep at night. But when I think about the greater picture – how many lives will be touched by the souls that decide to teach yoga, and how many lives I can help because of the business that I am growing – I believe it’s a minuscule price to pay.

Right now, what I need is to slow down, recount my steps, and embrace a future that is filled with abundance and possibilities.

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1. Love is a commitment, not a feeling. There will be days when you don’t have a romantic bone in your body. There will be days when everything annoys the hell out of you. But through it all, if you are truly loving each other, all these things don’t matter. Because emotions are TEMPORARY, but your commitment to loving each other is lifelong.

2. A functional relationship will always foster a supportive environment. You may not always be on top of your game, but your partner understands this and allows you that space to make mistakes. They will be there to pick you up and dust you off on days you realize you have been less than perfect. Your partner would only want you to grow as a person. They can sometimes be snarky, but they will always be there for you. Sometimes not physically beside you, but watching along the sidelines, making sure you never feel alone. This goes both ways and you must also understand that there are days when your partner needs your presence and support more than ever.

3. Your relationship will crumble without TRUST and RESPECT. Let your partner explore the world with full confidence that they will come back to you. If you couldn’t bring yourself to trust them at that level, then you have no business being in that relationship. If you find yourselves fighting for whatever reason, try very hard not to insult or call each other names. Trust and respect are the two bricks of foundation you need to lay down before you can ever hope to build anything of significance.

4. Character is everything. Work on yourself and your ambitions. Work on the life that you hope to live. And love someone for what they are exactly, not for what you hope they could be. If you find yourself dreaming of a better version of your partner, then maybe you should set out to find a person who’s exactly like that to begin with.

5. Be in love with yourself first. Commit to self-improvement and know that you are always a work in progress. Eat well, stay hydrated, exercise regularly, sleep 8 hours a day. It’s easier to love someone when you’re healthy. Love yourself so much that you would never tolerate being disrespected. Set rules for yourself, know how much pain you would allow yourself to bear before saying you’ve had enough. Having said that, once you know your worth, the energies you would allow in your life are the ones that truly deserve to be there.

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I don’t feel the need to be anything more than that – a beginner. Having said that, my practice is an amazing gift that I nurture with even more practice. It’s a gift from the universe that I do not take for granted. The whole experience is a plethora of emotions just waiting to be unleashed – delight, wonder, indifference, struggle, obsession, disappointment, breakdown, breakthrough, wonder, delight. I welcome each new emotion with an open heart, whether it appeals to my senses or not. I have learned not to dismiss any experience. Any aversion to unpleasant sensations only causes more misery than fully accepting the source of unpleasantness.

Nearly four years ago, I started my journey home to myself. Of course, back then, I didn’t really look at it that way. Back then, I lived a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I was overweight and borderline diabetic. I needed an activity – any activity at that – that allows more movement than my current lifestyle afforded me. I found a yoga studio around the corner from my house, and the rest was history. Each time I am one with my mat, I discover something new about my practice. I find something new about myself. Each time, with no fail, I am reminded that I am perpetually a learner – a beginner.

Fast forward four years…I still come back to practice. Mind you, my yoga has evolved in more ways than one. I’ve had to overcome my incessant ego several times. And I suspect I will still need to overcome its limitless attempts to undermine my journey. You see, ego is a funny little thing. It pushes you in multiple directions, but none of them ever really lead to liberation. It engages your self-destruct button and you have to succumb before you realize that you don’t have to. Ego will create and destroy relationships for you, so you will realize that all you ever really need is already within you.

I have come to terms with the fact that as far as yoga is concerned, as a practitioner and a teacher, I am a child. A stubborn child who has a lot to learn. But unlike a child, I realize now that I am not in a hurry to grow up. I enjoy being a beginner. I don’t really need to go far, I just need to keep going. Continue reading →

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Why is our generation so miserable? We have everything, all the conveniences that technology has to offer. And yet, when we go through our Facebook feed, it’s all full of depression, hate, desperation. To add fuel to the fire is the comments section, which I feel should forever be avoided.

We have more modes of transportation now, making it so easy to get from point A to point B, you’d think people would go out more. But ironically, just when transportation has gotten easier, more delivery options have also become available. Instead of physically going to your favorite restaurant or shopping center, why not have my food and goods delivered with just a phone call or a click of a button?

We have cellphones, internet video calling. Flights are cheaper than ever. But instead we have reduced ourselves to become keyboard warriors. It’s your friend’s birthday? Write on her wall. Oh she’s sick? Here’s a “Get well soon” graphic on her inbox. Guys, when and why did we become so lazy? Having all this unused energy, I think, is making us miserable. There’s so much fire in us that we need to unleash, except going through our News Feed is actually easier so here, let me just do that for one quick minute…

There are those of us who were raised as a God-fearing individual and that’s mainly a good thing. It means that we have with us a set of moral values that we need in order to live a harmonious life with others. We have been attending worship services as young as we could possibly remember. Then we grew up and started making your own choices. We are then constantly reminded that our choices are not always as morally-upright as what your religious leaders expect of you. We are perpetually guilted into submission, in anticipation of a hypothetical eternally blissful afterlife. But what about this life though? Do we purposely forget that we are fighting to survive in this world, right here, right now, where it’s as real as it will ever be?

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At Bodhi Yoga Center, we believe that yoga is a lifestyle and that our practice doesn’t end when we leave the mat or the studio. We practice our yogic values in the way we work and play. And we take fun very seriously.

Spend a month-long immersion in the heart of laid-back General Santos City in Southern Philippines. Spend weekends (and maybe some weekdays) learning theory or practicing vinyasa or acroyoga by the white sand beaches of Sarangani Bay. Do water activities in your spare time such as scuba diving or snorkeling.

Sure, fun is there. But when we work, we work hard. We train from sunrise to sunset, studying a comprehensive syllabus to ensure that our trainees become compassionate and competent yoga teachers after graduation.

Whether you have the calling to teach others, or you are simply exploring your own practice, anyone can benefit from learning safe and correct methods to practice yoga postures, breathing, cleansing techniques and meditation. Appreciate from an anatomical standpoint how these practices affect our physical and mental state. Learn how to modify postures to fit any type of body, and know that Yoga is indeed for everyone. Understand the correlation between the physical practice and the underlying philosophy and truly see that yoga is all-encompassing – it is life as we know it.